Tania Richard's New Series

December 6, 2016
by Mike McNamara

Chicago actor and filmmaker Tania Richard just released the next season of her series called mom in real life and she wants to tell you all about it. The actress, whose resume includes a stint on the upcoming Dick Wolf series CHICAGO JUSTICE, has brought together several of her talented Chicago on-screen mates, including Antoine McKay of EMPIRE and Second City fame, for mom in real life. Let's take a look...

"mom in real life is a comedy about Rory, a wife and mom who lives in a suburb just outside a big city," Richard told SCREEN. "She fantasizes about being an idyllic mother but alas, it is only in her dreams. This series is for anyone who tries and fails and picks themselves up and tries again."

mom in real life has been quite a journey for this Chicago filmmaker and actress, with the first season of this series starting on Richard's iPhone, in true DIY filmmaking fashion, and growing from there. "I started the project after I challenged my film students at Columbia College Chicago to create their own content. I was inspired by the independent film TANGERINE which was shot entirely on an iPhone 6 and was a big hit at Sundance. I didn't want them to sit around and wait for something to happen. I said, 'You all have phones. You have a story. Do it.' Then I thought, 'Wait it a minute. I have a phone. I have a story. I'm going to do it.' So the original pilot episode of mom in real life was shot on my iPhone. Even though I eventually reshot the pilot on a DSLR the original is quite charming. My eight year old daughter was my 'Director of Photography.' It was a fun Saturday."

Richard and her team have stepped up the production value for the second season. "Season one I worked with a Director of Photography and that was it," Richard told SCREEN. "For season two, I worked with 858 Productions. Actor/Producer Antoine McKay put together a talented crew and I learned so much. The series has gotten a major upgrade. I'm very pleased.

For Richard personally, "it's an opportunity to create my own work and cast with diversity in mind which is a mission of mine. I want television to look like the world around me. I wanted to play a type of character that I rarely get to play as a Black actress. Rory is quirky and imperfect. She's not the sassy best friend who has all the answers. I'm a storyteller and I can't just wait to tell stories when I'm hired as an actor."

Mike McNamara is the Co-Founder of The Midwest Independent Film Festival, www.midwestfilm.org. Mike pays his rent as an actor in Chicago in theatre, commercials, television and film. More from Mac at www.findmac.com.